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Bloody hell, if the PAs dress like that, I dread to think what the bill is going to be. Dad has told me not to worry about it, that it’s worth paying for the best in situations like this, but even so.
Rosie leads me past the reception desk and into a corridor with doors on either side. She stops outside one of them, opens it, and stands aside, indicating that I should walk through. She follows me in, carefully shutting the door behind her.
We’re in a kind of anteroom. There’s an empty desk in front of me, which I assume is hers, and then a glass partition behind, revealing a large office where a man who I’d guess is in his mid-forties is sitting behind another, much bigger desk, typing on a laptop. There’s an area in front of the desk with a sofa and some chairs and, at the far end, a large picture window gives an impressive view over the city. The man obviously notices our arrival, as he shuts the laptop and strides across the office, opening the door into the anteroom where we are.
‘Lady Huntingdon-Barfoot,’ he exclaims, as if we’re old friends who haven’t seen each other in a while, ‘Ed Wells. I’m delighted to meet you.’
‘Pleased to meet you too,’ I reply, shaking his extended hand.
‘Before we go in and get down to business, is there anything you need? Tea? Coffee? Something stronger?’
‘I’m fine, thank you. The receptionist made me a coffee while I was waiting, and it’s a little early in the day for anything else.’
‘I’m sorry to have kept you waiting,’ he sounds genuinely contrite.
‘Not at all, I was early. Thank you for seeing me at such short notice.’ Dad told me delightedly on Friday that Watson & Fletcher have quite a waiting list, but George had managed to get an appointment for the following Tuesday – today. I know well enough not to ask for details, but I do wonder sometimes how he pulls these things off.
‘No problem at all. Your father’s assistant made it clear that he’d like this matter resolved swiftly,’ Ed tells me. ‘Before we go in, let me just explain a little bit about how we work, so that you can be assured of our discretion. The area we’re in is soundproofed, so there’s no chance of anything you say being overheard by anyone else in the building besides Rosie, who is sworn to silence. We take great care to protect the anonymity of our clients. If you’re uncomfortable using the main entrance, we have a dedicated entrance from the underground car park, which will give you greater privacy.’
‘Thank you, but I don’t think anyone is going to be particularly interested in me.’
‘Trust me, they’ll be interested because you’re nobility. Also, the press are a peculiar bunch and your father has clashed with them in the past, so they’ll be gunning for anyone connected to him. Now, Rosie will generally be out here at her desk during our meetings, but I may ask her to join us from time to time. This will be if we need to discuss any of the intimacies of your marriage, or anything else that either you or I consider to be intensely personal. Her presence will be to reassure you that my questions do have a professional purpose, and she will also act as an independent witness to the discussions, in the unlikely event that you feel dissatisfied with our services for any reason and wish to make a complaint. Does that make sense?’
‘Yes. I don’t think I have anything salacious to share, though.’
‘It’s always wise to tread cautiously. If you wish to bring someone with you to any of our sessions for the same reason, that’s absolutely fine. All we ask is that you let Rosie know in advance. Do you have any questions before we begin?’
‘No, I don’t think so.’
‘Great, just one more from me then. Do you prefer Lady Huntingdon-Barfoot or Sophie?’
‘Sophie, please. I’m hoping not to be Lady Huntingdon-Barfoot for too much longer.’
He leads me into his office and invites me to take a seat in the area in front of his desk. He joins me, resting a notepad on his knee. We go through all the questions I’m expecting, including how long we’ve been married, whether there are any children, and the reason for the divorce petition. When we get to the finances, I can’t help noticing that Ed looks a little puzzled.
‘Is something wrong?’ I ask him.
‘No, not at all. It’s just that, I’m not sure how to say this, the sums involved are rather smaller than we usually deal with. Please don’t be offended, the only reason for me raising it is that, should your husband contest the divorce and we end up in court, I need to warn you that our fees will easily eclipse the settlement you’re seeking.’
We’ve talked about what I might be entitled to, but I’ve told him that all I want is to get out what I’ve put in, namely the two hundred thousand pounds that my father gave me and the thirty thousand pounds that the necklace was worth. Even this small amount is going to cause James a world of pain, but I don’t see why he should get to keep it.
‘I understand that,’ I tell him, ‘and, under normal circumstances, I would completely agree with you. However, I think my father is particularly keen to make sure that James can’t make a claim on any inheritance I might receive in the future, which will be a considerably larger sum.’
‘Ah, okay. That makes sense now, although I can reassure you on that one straight away. Your husband can’t claim against an inheritance that you haven’t yet received. Even if you had received it, it would be put to one side and only considered if the court felt that his basic financial needs could not be met without allocating some of it to him. Your inheritance can’t be taken into account at all at this stage, because it’s not a certainty. Your father could decide to leave it all to charity, or he might lose it all before he dies.’
‘I think he’d be unlikely to lose it all.’
‘I would hope so but I have seen it happen. Anyway, your inheritance is safe, don’t worry. May I make a proposal?’
‘Of course.’
‘Given that this seems to be a fairly straightforward case, I would like to bring one of my associates in to perform the bulk of the work. Please be assured that you will still get the quality of service for which Watson & Fletcher is renowned, and I will oversee the process at every stage, but it will considerably reduce the fees. Are you comfortable with that?’
I nod, and he gets up and sticks his head out of the door. ‘Rosie, would you ask Alison to join us please?’
She makes a brief phone call and, a minute or so later, a young woman who looks to be barely out of college comes into the office. I’m starting to wonder if I’ve made a mistake, and Ed obviously notices because he’s quick to reassure me.
‘Don’t be fooled by Alison’s apparent youth,’ he tells me with a smile. ‘She’s one of the most tenacious lawyers I’ve had the pleasure of working with. She won’t leave a stone unturned and, as I mentioned earlier, I’ll still be involved at every stage.’
